JULY 2011

I am pleased to share with you that New York Hospital Queens along with
other New York State health care providers’ advocacy efforts helped
achieve victories in the just completed state legislative session,
demonstrating the effectiveness of grassroots outreach to elected
officials.

New York Hospital Queens regularly communicates with our elected
officials - at all levels of government. We encourage our
legislators to advocate for the health care interests of this community
and health care providers - and make our needs a priority. During the
2nd quarter, we delivered nearly a dozen advocacy letters to state
legislators, members of the New York City Council and healthcare
industry leaders such as the GNYHA (Greater New York Hospital
Association), HANYS (Healthcare Association of New York State) and the
HTNYS (Healthcare Trustees of New York State).

Through our advocacy efforts we achieved positive outcomes on the
following issues:

Significant Certificate of Need (CON) reform; the bills remove
“routine” projects from the CON process, such as repair or
maintenance of minor equipment

Reform to rein in the excesses of the Office of the Medicaid
Inspector General (OMIG); this legislation ensures due process
protections for providers and recipients of Medicaid

Rejection of a multi-pronged assault on the medical malpractice
system

Prevention of legislation that would impose nurse staffing
ratios; this represents an unfunded mandate at a $42 billion
cost to hospitals

An important victory for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that
could help ensure their long-term financial viability aligns
Medicaid with Medicare reimbursement for outpatient and
emergency room services

Our advocacy is ongoing and will ramp up further when the second phase
of the Governor's Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) begins. The state
will also be evaluating Medicaid spending trends and we will continue to
protect provider reimbursement if additional cuts are proposed.
Healthcare providers will again have the opportunity to influence the
recommendations that will shape the Governor's policy proposals heading
into the next state budget debate.

Visit the page Our Health Care
Advocacy on this website to see examples of our advocacy message,
and for communication tools that you can use to expand the reach of this
effort.
2011 HANYS-PAC Kick-Off

This is the perfect segue for me to announce the kick-off of our 2011
HANYS- PAC (Political Action Committee) Campaign. As you are aware,
hospitals and practitioners are experiencing dramatic cuts to
reimbursement as well as other sources of federal and state funding.
Already, the cuts to NYHQ total close to $49 million over the past four
years.

The PAC serves as a collective voice for New York’s health care
institutions and our health care practitioners. The PAC has led to
significant accomplishments that help physicians and hospitals care for
patients.

The HANYS-PAC helps us send a powerful message of unity on behalf of
health care leaders by allowing individuals to pool their contributions.
Every dollar contributed goes directly to campaigns to present issues of
concern to candidates in office or who will be seeking federal and state
elected office. We can influence the future of health care delivery in
this state, as well as at New York Hospital Queens and for the patients
we serve.

Participation in the HANYS-PAC is voluntary and contributions are
accepted only from individuals. I hope you will consider a
contribution. We know that the current economy may make it challenging
to donate more. If each of us does what we can, we will help to shape
health care policy that can better protect our ability to deliver
patient care.

If you are considering making a donation to the New York Hospital
Queens' 2011 Annual HANYS-PAC or would like more information about it
please contact Debra Pagano Cohen at 718-670-1586 or
e-mail her at dec9067@nyp.org.

Whatever you choose to contribute, I thank you in advance for your
support.

Sincerely,
Stephen S. Mills

PEOPLE & PROGRAMS

People News

We
mourn the passing of a dear colleague, mentor and friend, James J.
Rahal, M.D. Dr. Rahal, 77, director, Infectious Disease, passed away
on June 11. Dr. Rahal was a widely published researcher and hands-on
physician. Dr. Rahal, a world-renowned infectious disease specialist, is
remembered for his work in raising alarms nationally about the rise of
drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals. He also emerged as a leading
expert in the treatment of West Nile virus after the Queens outbreak in
1999. Until his death, he had directed significant research in our
Infectious Diseases laboratory and served as the program director of the
Fellowship in Infectious Diseases. In memory of his lifelong passion for
discovery and continuing his legacy of research, his family has
suggested that donations be directed to the Fund
for the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory.

Our physicians and clinical staff frequently present their work at
medical conferences and in peer-reviewed publications:

Moshe Rubin, M.D., director, Gastroenterology, co-authored
“Antiplatelet Agents Do Not Impact the Hospital Course in Patients With
Gastrointestinal Bleeding,” which appeared in the Journal of Clinical
Gastroenterology.
Akkamma Ravi, M.D., attending radiation oncologist; Susan Lee,
M.D., acting director, The Breast Center; Karen Karsif, M.D.,
former director, The Breast Center, Adrian Osian, physicist,
Radiation Oncology; and Dattatreyudu Nori, M.D., chairman,
Radiation Oncology, and director, The Cancer Center; had their research
on “MammoSite multilumen catheter: Dosimetry considerations” published
in the Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.

It is an honor for us when our hospital team members are recognized
by other organizations and when they attain professional achievements:

Congratulations to the 75 physicians on our medical staff who were named
in the Castle Connolly Top Doctor guide. A selection of those physicians
were also listed in New York Magazine’s annual excerpt from the Castle
Connolly guide, as well as Newsday’s “Top Doctors” Guide and Castle
Connolly’s site. New York Hospital Queens is home to many of the best
doctors in New York and America!

Program News

Innovative Incisionless Procedure to Treat GERD
With the aid of a new surgical device, Stephen Merola, M.D.,
associate chairman, Surgery, and, director, Minimally Invasive and
Bariatric Surgery, and Moshe Rubin, M.D., director,
Gastroenterology, are now able to perform an incisionless procedure for
the treatment of GERD. The procedure is a minimally invasive option for
those patients who have severe gastroesophageal reflux and are not
responding to medical therapy or who no longer want to take medication
for the rest of their life. Some of the advantages of this procedure
over laparoscopic surgery may include a shorter hospital stay, faster
recovery, no visible scars and higher patient satisfaction.

Grand Opening of Educational Multi-Media Room in Theresa Lang
Children’s Center
The Department of Pediatrics hosted the grand opening of the new Theresa
Lang Children’s Center Educational Multi-Media Room in June. The room
was developed through a donation from the NYHQ Women’s Auxiliary in
honor of the late Theresa Lang, a founding member of
the Auxiliary. The multi-media room functions as a digital, Internet,
video and print resource for the education of faculty, students,
residents and the community at large.

5 West Unit Receives Award for Rapid Improvement
Over the past year, our 5 West nursing unit participated in the VHA
Empire-Metro Rapid Adoption Network Project to improve nursing
communication. VHA is an independent organization that helps health care
facilities improve clinically and financially. Member hospitals in the
Rapid Adoption Network share information about their clinical practices.
This has proven successful for a faster turnaround for clinical
improvement and employee performance. More than 30 hospitals in the New
York area participated in the project. Our hospital achieved the award
for Most Improved in Nursing Communication.

Palliative Care Education Program
On the heels of the well-attended Palliative Care Symposium in June, we
have expanded education on palliative and end of life care for our house
staff, attending physicians, physician assistants and nurses. A
four-part training series began on July 6 on the topic of “Principles of
Palliative Care and Whole Patient Assessment,” in the Lang Auditorium.
The next education session will be held on October 5. For more
information, contact Cynthia Pan, M.D., director,
Palliative Care, by calling (718) 670-2434 or emailing cxp9001@nyp.org.
The Cancer Center Program
Last month, in recognition of national cancer survivor’s month, we held
a “Celebration of Life” event for nearly 300 people - many of them our
former and current patients. As survivors were reunited with our Cancer
Center team, many were overcome with emotion. They stated that the staff
of the Cancer Center was responsible for saving their lives. Three
cancer survivors shared their stories, which was motivational for those
in the audience still fighting cancer.

Our Cancer Center is one of
the largest multidisciplinary cancer treatment programs in Queens and
the surrounding communities. It is made up of a team of surgeons,
radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and specialists in many forms
of cancer care, including breast, prostate, colon and gynecological. Our
cancer specialists are considered pioneers in oncology, such as our
director of the Cancer Center, who is well known for his cutting-edge
research in brachytherapy (radioactive seed implantation), and our
director for medical oncology, renowned for his work on new chemotherapy
protocols. In addition, we are the frequent recipient of major research
grants, and we sponsor numerous physician education programs to provide
the latest research and information regarding cancer diagnosis and
treatment.

If you or someone you know needs guidance through cancer, support
groups, genetic testing or medical evaluation, we havea multi-lingual
patient support service dedicated to provide assistance starting from
the day a patient receives a cancer diagnosis.

PROGRESS

More Than 100 Hybrid OR Procedures Performed to Date
Our hospital has performed more than 100 procedures in the new hybrid OR
since it opened in the new West Building earlier this year. New York
Hospital Queens has one of only three hybrid operating rooms in the
tri-state area. The hybrid OR combines the advantages of an operating
room with interventional radiology imaging. Prior to the development of
this type of OR, physicians had to decide whether a procedure would be
done surgically with less imaging capability or if they would perform a
radiological procedure without surgical intervention. Now, the choice
can be made on the spot to use both if necessary. For more information
about the vascular procedures that are typically performed in this OR,
contact Gregg Landis, M.D., director, Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery, at ext. (718) 445-0220.
NYHQ Web Site Goes Mobile
We track how people get to www.nyhq.org, and found that 3,000 visitors a
month - about 10 percent - come from mobile devices. In fact, that
figure has doubled since 2009. Our figures for mobile traffic far
exceeds the norm for hospital Web traffic nationally.

The next logical step was to enhance the mobile user’s NYHQ Web
experience. All mobile phone users who have access to the Web from their
phones can now view www.nyhq.org on a new mobile-optimized version of
the Web site. Interactions are made simpler, such as being able to quick
dial listed phone numbers found in our “Find a Doctor” directory. To
access the new version from a web-enabled phone, type in www.nyhq.org in
a phone's web browser.

Wellness Program for Hospital Employees, Staff
As it is our responsibility to care for health of our community, we also
promote healthy living and illness prevention to our employees and
medical staff through a new employee wellness initiative. Healthier
employees have a better quality of life for themselves and their
families. When our workforce has fewer health problems, we can also
achieve a cost savings on health insurance benefits.

The initiative includes exercise and weight loss contests as well as
consulting assistance from Weight Watchers. If employee participation is
counted as a measure of the program’s progress, then it is a success so
far. More than 600 people have enrolled for the exercise and weight loss
challenges. For more information about this program, contact Danielle
Gulinello, wellness program coordinator at (718) 661-7219 or
email dmg9016@nyp.org.

OUR VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY

SAVE THE DATE: Kids Day for Healthy, Active Living
The community is invited to a “Kids Day for Healthy, Active Living” on
July 16 at 10 a.m. at Kissena Corridor Park with NYHQ’s Fit Kids
Program. Assembly Member Grace Meng is hosting the
event to educate children on how to eat well, exercise on a daily basis
and correct unhealthy habits. The Fit Kids Program is expected to
provide instruction on eating right and exercising through games and
activities.
NYHQ Speakers’ Bureau
Our hospital has an active roster of physicians who make themselves
available to speak at community meetings and participate in health fair
events. Kudos to two physicians who reached out to the Queens community
in June: Ed Chai, M.D., director, Neurology, who
discussed Parkinson’s disease with the staff of the Asian Home Care
Program from the Visiting Nurse Service of New York; and Gerald
Wang, M.D., who was the guest speaker for Tiffany’s employees
on the topic of “Prostate Health and Disease.” Physicians who are
interested in joining our Speakers’ Bureau can contact Debbie
Pagano Cohen, director, Community and Government Affairs, (718)
670-1586 or dec9067@nyp.org.